A toddler survived three days in a remote Siberian forest with only one chocolate bar and a dry makeshift bed under a larch tree to keep him alive.
On September 18, 3-year-old Tserin Dopchut wandered the woodland of Tuva Republic and disappeared after playing with dogs near his family home, according to The Siberian Times.
The young boy may have followed a puppy into the woodland despite being watched by his grandmother, according to reports.
“There are wolves and bears in the forest. The bears are now fattening for the winter. They can attack anything that moves. In addition, it is warm during the day, but at night there are even frosts,” regional emergencies chief, Ayas Saryglar, told the outlet.
“If we consider that the kid disappeared during the day, he was not properly dressed – only a shirt and shoes, no coat.”
The child, who wasn’t injured during the ordeal, was near the River Mynas, which is fast and cold, he added.
“If a small child fell in, it would be certain death,” he said.
More than 100 people searched for Tserin, but it was his uncle’s voice that he responded to.
“Once his uncle hugged him, the little boy asked if his toy car was okay. He said that he had some chocolate, which he ate during the first day,” regional head, Sholban Kara-Ool, said.
His hometown of 400 people will be throwing a party to celebrate his survival.